The present invention relates to waste reclaiming systems and, more particularly, to reclaiming systems which are reusable.
Major metropolitan areas produce tons of garbage and waste material every day. The garbage and waste material is generally collected by sanitation departments and hauled off to disposal sites or burned in costly waste to energy conversion plants to reduce volumee and generate energy. In some instances, due to high land costs, the garbage and waste material may be transported to another state for disposal. In most areas, the disposal method of choice is use of a landfill. This use of a landfill has involved simply burying the waste. Generally, the landfills are filled with garbage and waste material and covered over when completed. The site is thereafter ill-suited for most purposes. Sites can also be a source of groundwater and air pollution. Anerobic decomposition at the site will produce contamination such as hydrogen sulfide and methane gases. As the amount of garbage continues to increase and the available land for landfills diminishes, there is a need for an alternative to long-term dedication of ever-increasing amounts of land to landfills that are themselves sources of pollution.
Previous landfill methods have also resulted in concerns regarding dangerous leachates. Leachates are produced as the result of liquids percolating through the wastes. Concern over leachates has caused regulation of landfills. Current regulations require impermeable liners to prevent leachates from contaminating groundwater supplies. This concern demands a solution to minimize the amount of leachate produced to afford maximum protection of the groundwater.
Several different types of garbage and waste recovery systems are illustrated in the art. Generally, these garbage and waste recovery systems are illustrate by the following patents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,696,599, issued Sept. 29, 1987 to Rakoczynski et al; 4,643,111, issue, Feb. 17, 1987 to Jones; 4,464,081, issued Aug. 7, 1984 to Hillier et al; 4,350,461, issued Sep. 21, 1982 to Valiga et al; 3,579,320, issued May 18, 1971 to Pesses; German Patent No. 3508824, issued Sep. 18, 1986; Japanese Patent No. 61-178086, issued Aug. 9, 1986; and Japanese Patent No. 58-33618, issued Feb. 26, 1983. These patents disclose different disposal systems.
The above-referenced patents, however, have several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the above-identified art calls for the dedication of capital equipment at one limited site yet does not provide for the reuse of the components of the system. Another disadvantage is that combustible and even potentially explosive materials such as methane and hydrogen sulfide gas are not eliminated or controlled. The above art does not provide for the full reclaiming of the full range of materials after they have been introduced to the landfill. The above systems also produce a substantially large amount of leachate with no mechanism to effectively control or contain that leachate. The systems also do not allow for easy repair of contamination paths should one occur. The systems also require expensive mechanisms and devices to treat the resultant leachate.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the relevant art. The present invention provides a method which enables reuse of a site dedicated to a landfill and also reuse of the components within the landfill. The present invention provides for control and use of combustible and/or harmful gases that are given off during the decomposition of the waste material. The present invention enables reclamation of the by-products of the completed landfill, many of them being capable of reuse. The present invention limits the amount leachates produced and provides effective use of the leachates in decomposition of the wastes. The present invention allows for inspection of leachate collection systems and cell liners and enables the repair or replacement of both. The present invention also enables continuous reuse of the landfill site instead of covering it and rendering the land unfit for most other purposes.
The present invention provides a method for processing waste material whereby a cell of waste material is created, this cell being sealed off from the surrounding environment by means of a liner and a cover. The waste material is monitored for decomposition and its leachate recirculated to enhance the decomposition. After decomposition has occurred, the resultant material may be removed and separated into usable fractions such as soil and recyclable metals, rubber, glass and plastics. The empty cell may thereafter be reused for processing another batch of waste.
From the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the drawings, other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.